Bora Chung's 'Cursed Bunny' Nominated for Booker Prize, Blending Horror and Social Critique

Bora Chung's short-story collection 'Cursed Bunny', translated by Anton Hur and published by Honford Star, was nominated for the 2022 Booker Prize. Originally released in 2017, the book merges magical realism, horror, fantasy, and folklore to address societal issues. Stories like 'The Head' feature a woman confronting a toilet-dwelling creature made of her bodily waste, which later reemerges as a vengeful double, critiquing demands for feminine perfection. In 'The Embodiment', a woman becomes pregnant from long-term contraceptive use and gives birth to a blood blob after failing to find a father, highlighting bodily autonomy. Other tales target capitalist greed: the title story depicts a CEO's family suffering due to a cursed object, while 'Snare' involves a man exploiting a fox with golden blood, leading to murder, cannibalism, and incest. The collection reflects the 'Hell Joseon' term popularized in South Korea in 2015, describing socioeconomic crises like job scarcity and wealth gaps. Priced at £10.99 in softcover, the work offers a global critique beyond South Korea.